Cbs, Nbc Changing Channels

Stations To Switch Positions On Tv Dial

November 22, 1994|By TOM JICHA TV/Radio Writer

CBS and NBC formalized on Monday what has been anticipated for months: NBC-owned WTVJ and CBS-owned WCIX are switching antenna and dial positions as part of a complicated business deal involving stations in four markets.

The swap will see NBC programs such as Seinfeld, Dolphin games, Jay Leno and Tom Brokaw slide from Channel 4 to Channel 6. CBS features such as 60 Minutes, Murphy Brown, David Letterman and Dan Rather will move from Channel 6 to Channel 4. The total program packages of each station, including news and syndicated programs, will remain intact. They will just be seen at a new spot on the dial.

The changes have to be approved by the Federal Communications Commission, a process expected to take from four months to a year, depending on legal challenges that might materialize. If and when they take effect, it will be the second upheaval in South Florida in six years. On Jan. 1, 1989, three stations in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market and three more in the Palm Beach market shuffled network affiliations. Only Channels 4 and 6 are involved this time.

"Except for the past six years, Channel 4 has always been the home of CBS," WCIX general manager Allen Shaklan said. "I guess you can go home again."

Because its call letters are geared to the Channel 6 dial position, the CBS station will abandon WCIX, Shaklan said. New call letters will be announced in about a week, he said. NBC will retain WTVJ.

There has been speculation that NBC will eventually seek a new outlet for its programming because of the signal shortcomings of Channel 6. The station has virtually no over-the-air penetration in Broward. Only homes with cable can pick up a watchable picture.

As a result, WCIX and the CBS shows it carries traditionally lag in competition. For example, the four-night miniseries Scarlett had an average rating about 33 percent lower than the national figure. WCIX also traditionally has the lowest rating of any major market for big events such as the Super Bowl. When the changes take effect, this will become NBC's problem.

WTVJ general manager Don Browne said he is confident his station will be able to function more competitively than WCIX has with Channel 6 because NBC seems to be an upswing and WTVJ has been out-performing the network.

NBC made the deal because it needed an affiliate in Philadelphia, the nation's fourth largest market (Miami-Fort Lauderdale ranks 16th). CBS had two Philadelphia stations - WCAU, which it owns, and KYW, because of a deal it made to transform all stations owned by Group W into CBS affiliates. NBC made a bid to buy WCAU. CBS suggested that in lieu of all cash, the antenna positions in Miami-Fort Lauderdale be part of the deal. The horse-trading expanded to include NBC stations in Denver and Salt Lake City and Group W.

For the approximately three out of four households in Broward that subscribe to cable, the impact of the changes will be negligible. CBS and NBC shows will be found on a different channel position. In fact, individual cable systems, which can position stations at their discretion, could leave NBC and CBS where they are now.

Homes without cable will have to improvise to get NBC. The most expedient solution will be for these households to pick up NBC programs on Palm Beach's WPTV-Ch. 5, just as many Broward CBS viewers now turn to Palm Beach's WPEC-Ch. 12. WPTV provides a strong signal throughout Broward.

This would not be the case for locally originated fare such as newscasts. Without cable, WTVJ anchorman Tony Segreto, a Davie resident, will not be able to pick up his own station's newscasts.